CREATELab opens the doors to design possibilities even wider at IFEX Philippines 2026

A year after its successful debut, CREATELab returns to help more Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) scale their businesses using the power of effective design. 

The free on-site design clinic will set up shop at IFEX Philippines 2026: Tropical Flavors for the World, the country’s longest-running business-to-business and export-oriented trade show for food, beverages, and ingredients, which runs from May 21-23 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. IFEX Philippines is a signature program of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). 

A creative solutions program organized by CITEM’s CREATEPhilippines, in partnership with the Communication Design Association of the Philippines (CDAP), CREATELab aims to guide local MSMEs in leveraging design to expand their businesses and enter the export market. It offers free consultations in which enterprises are matched with experts whose experiences and portfolios align with their respective branding design needs. That way, businesses can get started on the path of developing effective branding and marketing strategies. 

To make its services even more accessible to Filipino entrepreneurs, CREATELab is now open to all food and beverage MSMEs—including non-IFEX Philippines 2026 participants. Interested entrepreneurs can pre-register for a slot here. 

Building on the momentum

CREATELab’s first edition, held during IFEX Philippines 2025, facilitated a total of 120 consultations over three days. CDAP takes this as a sign that there is a growing acknowledgment of the importance of good design in economic growth among Filipino entrepreneurs. “The fact that [these many businesses] signed up and approached CREATELab [last year] shows how aware our MSMEs are that they need help with branding design,” says CDAP Executive Vice-President Kevin Paul Santos, who was part of the design clinic at both IFEX Philippines 2025 and Manila FAME 2025. “They’re in a receiving mode.” 

CREATELab hopes to build on the momentum to encourage more local businesses to invest in their branding and design. For IFEX Philippines 2026, it features 14 CDAP members as the participating design experts: Geno Maglinao, Edward Nonay, Johnny Isorena, R.K. De la Rosa, Paolo Tugano, Pete Parel, Alana Jorge, Kristina Uy, Oliver Santiago, Bianca Bueno, Aliah Corpuz, Faye Umali, Joan Lao, and Paul Ignacio. Collectively, their experiences span working with independent brands, multinational companies, startups, creative agencies, non-government organizations, advocacy groups, and international institutions.

The diverse selection of communication designers ensures that MSMEs operating in the different sectors of the food and beverage industry can receive competent design advice relative to their target markets. The experts are also ready to handle varying levels of design needs, from foundational and brand identity issues to difficulties in boosting market visibility and recall. 

Good design can change a person’s perspective—and, when strategized under the guidance of CREATELab, it can also boost a business. CREATELab is one of the capacity-building initiatives of CREATEPhilippines, designed to connect creatives from the country’s content-driven sectors with businesses, industry partners, and collaborators to encourage trade, foster innovation, and create opportunities for sustainable growth for the Philippine creative industries. 

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Calling all Filipino entrepreneurs in the F&B industry: Get a free design consultation through CREATELab at IFEX Philippines 2026 by registering here to secure a slot.  

Savor the best that the country has to offer at IFEX Philippines 2026: Tropical Flavors for the World, happening on May 21-23, 2026 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City.

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